How to Sew Pouches to Organize Your Life

comments (14) December 30th, 2008

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cal patch, contributor

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Pouches can be customized to accommodate all sorts of things.

Here are the rectangular scraps Im using for my pouches.

Heres one of the pieces after hemming the two short sides.

Pouches can be customized to accommodate all sorts of things.

Photo: Cal Patch

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I'm usually at a loss for what to get my stepfather as a gift; he's the kind of guy who pretty much has everything he wants. I asked my mom if she had any ideas, and after a few minutes of thought she came up with something. He's diabetic, which means he has a few emergency supplies he needs to carry around at all times, but he didn't have anything to keep them in. So, my mom figured I could make him a pouch to keep everything together and that he could easily toss into his briefcase or gym bag. Perfect! Especially since I was making my mom and sister lined, pocketed tote bags, and my nieces simple totes with their initials appliquéd on; this totally fit with the theme.

As I made the first pouch, I started to think of all the different ways I could make it and all the uses I could find for them. My head was spinning with the possibilities! You can easily customize them to suit any use. It also occurred to me that pouches make fantastic gift wrapping and then can be used afterwards.

Now that the gifting is over, I'm on to New Year's resolutions, and my big one for this year is to Get Organized. I know, it's not very original, but I'm moving out of my cluttered apartment on New Year's Eve, and I want to start fresh on the other side with a new, simplified life. Hey, a girl can dream, right? So I started seeing all the ways pouches can help me get (and STAY) organized. For example, I teach a lot of different project-based classes, and it's essential that I bring all the necessary supplies with me. If I had pouches for every class, the supplies could just live in them always and be all together for me to grab on my way to teach.

Through making a few different styles, I figured out a very simple way to go about pouch-making that can yield a variety of styles. I'll show you how to do three variations: a flap, an overlap, and a zipper pouch, all made from one rectangle of fabric. Grab yourself some scraps and let's go!

1. Cut out the pouch piece. Basically, all you need is one rectangle to make a pouch. If you are making it to house a specific item, the length of the rectangle should be twice the length of the item, plus twice the item's depth if it has any (like, say, a camera, or books, or spools of thread) plus at least an inch or two extra for ease, plus one inch for seam allowance. That's for the basic zipper pouch. The overlap style needs the additional length of however much you want to overlap, and the flap style needs twice the flap length added in. The width of the rectangle can just be the width of the item, plus an inch or two for ease, plus an inch for seam allowance. Easy!

Here are the rectangular scraps I'm using for my pouches.

2. Hem the short sides. Finish both edges with a 1/4-inch double-turned hem.

Here's one of the pieces after hemming the two short sides.

3. Sew the side seams. Use the item you plan to keep in the pouch to help you figure out how best to fold it for stitching.

This pouch will have an overlapping opening and will hold my crochet hooks. The hooks help me determine where to fold at the bottom...

...and at the top.

This one's going to have a zipper closure and hold my sewing shears when I need to bring them with me.

This one will hold my business cards in my bag.

Crease where you fold, and then flip the pouch inside out, so that the right sides are facing each other, and pin. Sew using 1/2-inch seam allowances. For the zipper pouch, you should first seam each of the hemmed edges to one side of the zipper, using your zipper foot, then fold the pouch and stitch the side seams right over the zipper.

For the zip pouch, lay one of the hemmed edges on the zipper tape, with the fold right next to the teeth. Stitch close to the fold, using a zipper foot.

Then place the opposite hemmed edge on the other side and stitch.

Now, with right sides together, sew the side seams right over the zipper.

The overlap pouch will be sewn through all layers at once; just check that the side you want on top when it's finished is underneath when you're sewing it (because it's inside out).

Sew the side seams on the overlap pouch right through all three layers where they overlap.

The flap pouch gets sewn separately for the pocket part and the flap. The two hemmed edges should almost meet, but leave about 1/8 inch between them.

First, stitch the sides of the pocket part...

...then the sides of the flap section.

The flap pouch is nearly finished.

4. For the flap pouch, the final step is to turn it right side out and stitch across the base of the flap to close the opening.

From the inside, stitch across the base of the flap to close it.

Then edgestitch around the entire flap. To keep it closed, you can sew some hook-and-loop tape or a snap underneath the flap, or make a buttonhole and add a cute vintage button. For the overlap and zip styles, just turn 'em out—they're already done!

This zip pouch just needs to be turned right side out and it's done!

Same goes for this overlap version.

I'm already addicted to making these, and I'm certain they're going to change my life. Now I'll have "a place for everything," which has always been (at least part of) my problem. How are you going to use yours?

Meet my new business card case!

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Comments (14)

ustabahippie writes: Great idea, just a reminder: Don't forget to open the zipper halfway before you sew the side seams together, or else it will be really hard to turn the pouch right side out!
Posted: 2:18 pm on January 1st

Jetmuis writes: hi this is awesome, i must plane to make a lot of those , thank you for your awesome idea, and the great tute,
happy new year.!!!
Posted: 5:04 am on January 1st

catplus writes: Great ideas, all! I am going to apply these techniques to help me create a case for my husband's iPad. Thank you!
Posted: 4:08 pm on September 27th

whimsy_chidori writes: Simple and extremely useful! I'm thinking of making a modified one to hang on my bed for books and other random items. This is so woderful!
Posted: 11:19 pm on May 7th

Tifana writes: So Smart you are! Thanks a bunch from the organizationally challenged!
Posted: 10:31 am on April 18th

creativehobby writes: Now I can use this information and use my scrap material to make pouches. Great idea!
Posted: 12:20 am on March 2nd

sigridsoto writes: You have inspired me to create some of my own thank you
Posted: 5:20 am on January 7th

CatherineCornelia writes: Great idea. As you, I am committed to get organized this year. Somewhere, I lost control and a problem I have been struggling with is how to store what I have and still be able to find it when I need it. These pouches are a fantastic solution. I may even practice the embroidery feature on my sewing machine on these pouches - learn to use my machine on something that is not critical if it is not perfect. You gave me another idea as well. It looks like you used a leg from jeans for the zipper pouch. Another goal, which many of us share, is to lose weight and get in shape this year. I have managed to drop one size in jeans so far and I still have the larger size as a reminder of what I don't want to fit in. This also allows for a safety net if the weight comes back. I will make pouches from these jeans - keep the reminder and lose the safety net!
Posted: 8:39 am on January 5th

SewDanish writes: These pouches are really neat. It would be great to decorate and/or quilt the fabric before finishing them. Lots of possibilities :-) Birgitte

http://www.SewDanish.etsy.com
Scandinavian Textile Art and Unique Supplies
Posted: 4:26 pm on January 3rd

auntsusu writes: I love your idea of pouches this is a great jumping off point for anyone trying to organize a small area of their life. I made a crochet hook roll and I have crocheted several little things because I could easily fins my hooks. You've inspired me to make some pouches to hold my rotary cutter and shears so I can take them to a quilt class later this month.
Posted: 10:32 am on January 3rd

granitatogo writes: Thanks for this great tutorial. especially the zipper pouch. All these years i have been avoiding zippers but will try to learn now!
Posted: 4:10 am on January 3rd

megan_spears writes: These are super cute and way practical! Great idea!
Posted: 2:27 pm on January 1st

Fiberfads writes: I especially like the crochet hook pouch and would like to use the concept for knitting needles.
Posted: 8:01 am on December 31st